This invention pertains to the field of interactive voice response (IVR) systems and services.
In some aspects, the present invention is directed to a system and method for converting an existing IVR system into a visual IVR (VIVR) system.
Automated telephone-based customer support systems, such as auto attendant (AA) systems, (which may also be referred to as automated attendant systems, virtual receptionist systems, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, AA/IVR systems, and other names) have evolved from relatively simple devices to more complex computerized systems for handling calls pertaining to a variety of issues. Modern IVR systems can often allow a caller to resolve an issue through self service, without the need for a human agent to provide agent-assisted service. And in cases where agent-assisted service is required to address a caller's issue, an IVR system may facilitate connecting the caller to the appropriate agent for resolving the issue.
For example, an IVR system may automatically answer a telephone call from a caller, play a standard message to the caller, and then await a response from the caller. In some IVR systems, this response may come in the form of the caller depressing a particular telephone key, which often generates a standardized set of tones called Dual-tone multi-frequency tones (DTMF), and/or in the form of voice input for more sophisticated voice recognition systems. Based on the caller response, the system may process the incoming call appropriately to resolve one or more issues which prompted the caller to place the call.
Auto attendant systems often have a complex menu structure, via which an incoming caller may, for example, proceed through a complex decision tree, being presented with a series of recorded voice prompts (or generated voice prompts utilizing Text-To-Speech) and providing corresponding responses, in order to connect the incoming caller with a particular person, departmental function, or information to resolve the incoming caller's issue(s). Some IVR systems operate using voice communication over traditional Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), wireless radio infrastructure, and/or voice-over-IP technologies.
Many commercial owners or users of IVR systems also operate websites which can provide additional information to a customer, and in this case, one or more voice prompts which are provided by the auto attendant system may encourage incoming callers to stop using the telephone-based IVR system, and instead to switch to using a web browser to engage in a self service operation with a computer-based customer support system.
However, callers to an organization's telephone-based auto attendant system may experience frustration with unsuccessful IVR interactions or encounter long wait times during peak call periods. Computer-based customer support systems may provide (e.g., via a network) a broader range of automated information and with little or no wait times where a customer seeks a resolution to the customer's issue during a self service session. Moreover, if the computer-based customer support system fails to allow the customer to resolve an issue, the customer may still need to speak with a customer service agent to resolve the issue. So it is desirable to integrate the experience of an IVR service to a customer, with a more robust set of features which can be provided to a caller who has an intelligent device such as a smartphone which has a display device and can present texts and images to the caller and present options in a visual manner via a VIVR service.
However, there is already a huge and valuable installed infrastructure of IVR systems. Also, even though it may be desirable to provide a VIVR service to customers, there continue to be callers from traditional “dumb” telephones which do not have the ability to experience a VIVR service and which will require the traditional IVR service.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method for adapting an existing real time IVR system to provide a VIVR service.
The present invention comprises a system and method for adapting an existing real time IVR system to provide a VIVR service.
In one aspect of the invention, an interactive voice response (IVR) system adaptor is provided for adapting an IVR system to support a visual IVR (VIVR) service, wherein the IVR system includes an application server and a media player which is configured to interface with an incoming call from a user via a user device. The IVR system adaptor comprises: a proxy IVR interface which is configured to instruct the media player to present the user with a first option to proceed with an audio-only call and a second option to experience a multimedia call including display of visual information on the user device; and a visual interaction renderer. When the user selects the first option, the proxy IVR interface passes first messages output from the media player to the application server, and passes second messages from the application server to the media player. When the user selects the second option, the visual interaction renderer receives third messages from the user device and translates the third messages into the first messages. The proxy IVR interface passes the first messages to the application server, and in response thereto receives the second messages from the application server, and passes the second messages to visual interaction renderer. The visual interaction renderer converts the second messages to fourth messages, and sends the fourth messages to the user device.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for adapting an IVR system to support a visual IVR (VIVR) service, wherein the IVR system includes an application server and a media player which is configured to interface with an incoming call from a user via a user device. The method comprises: instructing the media player to present the user with a first option to proceed with an audio-only call and a second option to experience a multimedia call including display of visual information on the user device; receiving a response from the user device. When the response indicates selection of the first option, the method includes passing, via an IVR system adaptor, first messages output from the media player to the application server, and passing via the IVR system adaptor second messages from the application server to the media player. When the response indicates selection of the second option, the method includes: receiving third messages from the user device via the IVR system adaptor, the IVR system adaptor translating the third messages into the first messages, passing the first messages to the application server, and in response thereto receiving the second messages from the application server, converting the received second messages to fourth messages, and sending the fourth messages to the user device.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a system comprises: a media player; an application server; and an interactive voice response (IVR) system adaptor. The media player is configured to interface with an incoming call from a user via a user device, to provide prompts to the user and to receive responses from the user, and to output first messages including information corresponding to the responses from the user. The application server is configured to receive the incoming first messages, and in response thereto to output second messages indicating specific ones of the prompts to be provided to the user. The IVR system adaptor is configured to instruct the media player to present the user with a first option to proceed with an audio-only call and a second option to experience a multimedia call including display of visual information on the user device. When the user selects the first option, the IVR system adaptor passes the first messages output from the media player to the application server, and passes the second messages from the application server to the media player. When the user selects the second option, the IVR system adaptor receives third messages from the user device, converts the third messages into the first messages, passes the first messages to the application server, receives the second messages from the application server in response to the first messages, converts the second messages to fourth messages, and sends the fourth messages to the user device.